She'll not be for turning, even in her grave!

So, farewell then Margaret Thatcher. Loved and despised in equal measure across these islands, she divided a country like no other politician before or since. She guzzled North Sea oil and left behind an enormous property bubble, millions unemployed and communities shattered and polarised. She made many people rich too and they will be forever grateful to her.

 I never got the chance to photograph Mrs Thatcher. She was ushered from office just as I was embarking on my career in newspapers. By the time I got to cover major political events, she had been usurped. A shame, really, as I would have enjoyed getting close to one of the 20th century's most famous - and infamous leaders.

But like most photographers since her departure, I have been photographing her legacy. Trying to make sense of it and reflecting back some of energy which she used to further her own political, social and economic ends.

Maybe a fitting tribute should be a reflection of the three photographs reproduced here, from Ravenscraig, Monktonhall and Dundee? Steelworks, coalmines, social housing, all detonated in the name of Thatcherism.

As the song went, Bathgate no more, Linwood no more, Methil no more, Irvine no more. And the final verse: Thatcher no more!

'The A41 Project is my latest project, which launched with an exhibition at The Public in West Bromwich from 27 February until 6 May, 2013.

The project looks at how the issues around inequality in contemporary society can be expressed through the photographic image. The project uses as its template the historic A41 trunk road, which links central London with Birkenhead on the banks of the Mersey. The project is staged in partnership with The Equality Trust, an organisation which raises awareness and campaigns on inequality in the UK.

The principal reason for using the A41 as the metaphorical template for the project was my discovery that the road commences at the top end of Park Lane in the West End of London - one of England's richest streets, and terminates at Woodside Ferry in Birkenhead, one of the country's most deprived wards. That is not to say that the streets of London are all paved with gold and that Birkenhead has nothing going for it. Quite the opposite: levels of inequality in London are amongst the worst in the developed world and the consequences felt by many, both rich and poor, in the Capital. My interest lay in defining inequality and the income gap and finding metaphors which could illustrate and describe what I found through my research.

The project has been one year in the making: the final six months of which I spent 'on the road' travelling the length of the A41 from near my home on Merseyside down to London - and back again several times. I would usually fit in trips along the A41 around the work I did with four participatory photography groups based along the route. Through The Equality Trust, groups were established in London, Milton Keynes, West Midlands and Merseyside. These groups consisted of people with an interest in the subjects of inequality and photography and who were keen, like me, to experiment and look creatively at how the issues could be illustrated using the photographic image.

For my own work, I based the images I made on themes, statistics or ideas which I had researched, or which emerged from the workshops with the participatory groups. Often I would be looking to illustrate a specific fact or quote, and in the final pieces of work, I turned these into questions. As a result, the images which are on display at The Public have questions written underneath the photographs such as: "Is life expectancy greater in more equal rich countries?" or "Are children negatively affected by growing up in more unequal countries?" Without answering these questions, I am requesting the viewer to consider what is being asked, therefore allowing a degree of ambiguity which is often a necessary part of the artistic process and presentation.

Photographers are particularly fond of road trips and journeys: the instil a sense of narrative and direction in the work being made made. We like to see ourselves as explorers, adventurers, too. What I enjoyed most was discovering parts of England which were previously unknown to me. There were fascinating corners of the country such as Bilston in the West Midlands, where I discovered a fascinating legacy of the Industrial Revolution in the shape of the immaculate Hickman Park, a beautifully preserved community amenity in a changing landscape. I also came across Riches Street in Wolverhampton, except the word 'Street' was no longer there. It seemed to be a perfect and poignant message, and I couldn't help wondering whether  there was a 'Rags Street' close by which could have illustrated the gap between rich and poor symbolically.

The project was funded by the Arts Council England and The Equality Trust. It will continue to tour over the next 18 months, with showings in Milton Keynes, Birkenhead and London.

To see the complete collection of 25 images, please visit http://colinmcpherson.photoshelter.com/gallery/A41-Exhibition/G0000XxKfeKl5ajU/C0000x0SFieqxS.E

Join in by visiting the A41 Project Facebook page

Document Scotland

Over the last few months, I have been involved in setting up a project which aims to combine photography with zeitgeist.

Conceived over a beer and a bowl of dim sum in a backstreet cafe in Beijing earlier this year, Document Scotland is the brainchild of three Scottish photographers: myself, Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert and Stephen McLaren. We looked at the world and decided that the world will soon be looking at Scotland. In the run up to the 2014 referendum on Independence, there's no doubt that the 'best wee country in the world,' as the Government likes to describe it, is going to be in the eye of a political and social storm, one which will shape and mould Scotland's future for generations to come.

And into this maelstrom, photography must step. Scotland has a long and noble tradition of producing peerless documentary photography. In addition, the country has provided a backdrop for many of the most acclaimed and celebrated photographers who have chosen to come and make work. We firmly believe that it our responsibility to take on the challenge of defining and communicating what the next two years have in store, socially, culturally, environmentally and politically.

So Document Scotland sets out with a manifesto to encourage, support and disseminate outstanding documentary photography. It should have the power to provide the resources for its photographers to develop themes and ideas and to make new work. Working collectively will give each practitioner support, guidance and a sense of working towards a common goal.

Today we welcome our fourth member of the team to Document Scotland: Edinburgh-born photographer Sophie Gerrard has already acquired the reputation as one of the country's most exciting emerging talents. We are looking forward to working with her and raising the profile of- and opportunities for each one of this 'fab four' collective.

Here's more information about Document Scotland.

The A41 Project hits the road...

One of the most engaging debates surrounding inequality in the word's wealthiest countries is why it exists at all. In societies blessed with resources, both human and natural, not to mention cash and other capital, why is it that so many of these nations appear to be in crisis?

Notwithstanding the global financial meltdown and long recession the world is still suffering under, the consequences of living under systems which contribute to a steadily widening of incomes are being hotly debated. The statistics and research around outcomes for health and wellbeing make fascinating reading. How is the ever-widening gap between those with wealth and those without contributing to problems in our own country and around the world? What can be done to change, rectify and re-balance these consequences?

Last year, I started researching a project based on the ideas of these imbalances, using the A41, one of England's major trunk roads, as a template. The road runs from one of England's richest neighbourhoods in central London, all the way to Birkenhead, on the banks of the Mersey, in one of the country's poorest wards. This lead me to the Equality Trust, a charitable organisation which aims to raise awareness about these issues and campaign for changes in policy.

The result was the putting together of an Arts project which focuses on the issues brought to the surface by the collaborative research. Funded by the Arts Council England and The Equality Trust, the A41 Project also engages with groups and individuals interested in applying the ideas, practices and ethics of photography to the issues surrounding inequality. Having established participatory groups in London, the West Midlands and Milton Keynes, I am eager to hear from anyone wishing to participate in the project from the North West, particularly Cheshire and Merseyside. No experience necessary, as they say.

The result will be exhibitions, websites, blogs and possibly a publication. In the meantime, please follow the project via Twitter twitter.com/germanocean or via the Equality Trust website http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/

Win a signed photo

On Sunday 9th September I will once again be taking part in the Hoylake 10k race.
As last year, I will be raising funds for two very worthwhile causes, detailed below.
And once again, I am asking you if you would be prepared to help me by entering a competition to guess my finishing time for the race.

This year's incentive to enter is that the entry closest to guessing my official finishing time will win an exclusive, signed copy of one of my favourite photographs.

The image (see above) is a stunning landscape, taken at dawn from the small Hebridean island of Tiree on Scotland’s west coast showing the hills of Mull and the distinctive shape of the Dutchman’s Cap, a small, uninhabited island situated between Tiree and Mull. The winning entry will receive a 20" by 14" print, with a plain white mount surrounding the image.

Entries cost GBP5 each and there is no limit to the amount of times you can place your guess. Simply email or text me (07831 838717) your guess in minutes and seconds  i.e. 52.37  and pay the entry fee either by cheque or online via PayPal (www.paypal.com - my account is amazon@colinmcpherson.co.uk). If two entries are the same, I will reallocate your guess to the nearest available slot in minutes and seconds.

I will be raising money for two specific projects:

Wednesday Special Needs Club Soft Play Sensory Resource. Located just around the corner from where I live and where the race will be run, the Soft Play Sensory Resource caters to the particular requirements of Wirral's special needs people of all ages. It is run and supported by the volunteer helpers of the Wednesday Special Needs Club, which has no official funding. It is located in a specially equipped room in Hoylake Community Centre (registered charity no. 1015141). For more information go to http://www.wsnc.co.uk/index.html

Musa's Family. During my trip to Swaziland in 2008, I had the privilege to meet Musa, who lives with his extended family in a small stockade in Pine Valley, near Mbabane on the edge of the Drachenberg mountains. Like almost all families in Swaziland, Musa's family have suffered due to the staggeringly high incidences of HIV/AIDS in a country which has the highest rates of infection and the lowest life expectancy in the world. Over the last four years, I have attempted to help Musa, who is the head of the family and the main breadwinner, by paying for him to study accountancy and to gain a qualification that will allow him the opportunity of a good career that in turn will help him support his family. Money raised has also been used to connect their homestead to main electricity and to repair houses flattened by storms this year. By sponsoring me in running the Hoylake 10k you will be a part of the support that I give to Musa which allows him to buy everyday items, travel to work and pay for his nieces and nephews to attend primary school. To see a gallery of photos of Musa and his family, please visit http://pa.photoshelter.com/c/colinmcpherson/gallery/Musas-Family/G0000p3eoFLEZSgw/

I am aware that these are difficult times for us all and that many of you will already support charities and fundraising events. Nevertheless, any amount you can support me with will be greatly appreciated by everyone at the WSNC and by Musa and his family. Last year I finished the race in a personal best of 47 minutes and 00 seconds and my aim is to at least match that time this year. I'd also like to match the GBP890 which was raised last year.

Many thanks for your time in reading this mail.

For more information about my photography, please visit www.colinmcpherson.co.uk

My Olympics is over already....

While the whole World - or 4 billion of you - are gearing up to watch tonight's opening ceremony and the golden moments over the next fortnight, I'll be reflecting on my own brief Olympic experience.

When Saturday Comes commissioned me to cover the Men's football tournament matches at Old Trafford, featuring United Arab Emirates versus Uruguay and the controversial Great Britain team in action against our old friends from Senegal.

After the hype of the GB team in the run-up to the Games came the reality: a family-friendly atmosphere which never had the cutting edge of a 'real' international match. The home songs were muted and there was even applause for the opposition - something which was welcome but unexpected in the context of international football. No-one, other than manager Stuart Pearce, seemed bothered that Team GB had not won. Most people in the near-capacity crowd just seemed delighted to be at an Olympic event.

Probably because of the absence of players from Scotland and Northern Ireland, not to mention the location of the match, the crowd sported England and GB colours in equal measure. I saw only one saltire being waved - but don't worry lads, I know where the offender lives!

For colour and energy, it was the wig-wearing Uruguayans who stole the show.

So the bandwagon rolls on without me. I'm off on holiday. I'll be keeping an eye on Usain Bolt and the other great Olympians. As for the football, I just can't wait until the real season kicks-off at Dumbarton on 18th August.

To see a gallery of photos from Old Trafford, please visit http://colinmcpherson.photoshelter.com/

New museum gets a helping hand!

A quick trip over to Manchester this week to discover the delights of England's new National Football Museum, housed at the futuristic Urbis building in Manchester city centre.

Upon arriving I was informed by one of the excitable gaggle of PR people on duty that the star attraction was Maradona's 'Hand of God' shirt. Well, as any self-respecting Scot would do, I hot-footed it to the relevant display cabinet and paid homage to the shirt which is on loan from former England internationalist Steve Hodge who nabbed it from wee Diego after that famous 1986 World Cup match.

It set me thinking. Maybe the more appropriate location for this item would be at the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden? I can imagine it would become something of a shrine! Not that I endorse cheating or gamesmanship, you understand. It just somehow has more resonance in Scotland, for some reason.

Anyway, petty nationalistic gibes aside, the newly-opened NFM is excellent. Its director is Kevin Moore, a fellow Tranmere Rovers fan, so as you would expect it balances out history and modernity with a good mix of large and small clubs represented in each of the four packed floors of displays.

It also tackles serious issues related to English football's more troubled histories: fires, disasters, hooliganism. although the alleged theft of a bracelet in 1970 doesn't get a mention anywhere!

On the top floor is Stuart Roy Clarke's sublime 'Homes of Football' photographic exhibition (his entire collection is now housed at the NFM). It's a tour around football in the nations of the British Isles and further afield including new images taken in Africa. Superb. Indeed the whole place is.

For more information, read Ian Herbert's article in the Independent which was illustrated by my photographs: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/the-peoples-game-exhibits-its-heart-at-the-national-football-museum-7917892.html?origin=internalSearch

or view my set of images at: http://colinmcpherson.photoshelter.com/